An organ-specific transcriptomic atlas of the medicinal plant Bletilla striata: Protein-coding genes, microRNAs, and regulatory networks.

As one of the important species belonging to the Bletilla genus of Orchidaceae, Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Rchb. f.

Nutrient and toxic elements in soils and plants across 10 urban community gardens: Comparing pXRF and ICP-based soil measurements.

Urban community gardens are becoming increasingly important to rehabilitate developed lands and combat the lack of access to fresh produce. Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) offers a rapid, cost-effective method for assessing the elemental composition of soils but needs further study to determine its efficacy in urban agriculture. The objectives of this study were to evaluate if pXRF measurements of macronutrients (Ca, K, P), micronutrients (Cu, Mn, Zn), and toxic elements (As, Pb) generate results comparable with traditional soil analyses and if the soil measurements correlate with plant tissue concentrations at 10 community gardens across the eastern United States.

NFĸB Targeting in Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Mediated Support of Age-Linked Hematological Malignancies.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can become dysfunctional in patients with hematological disorders. An unanswered question is whether age-linked disruption of the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment is secondary to hematological dysfunction or vice versa. We therefore studied MSC function in patients with different hematological disorders and found decreased MHC-II except from one sample with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Plant-based Milks: A Review of the Science Underpinning Their Design, Fabrication, and Performance.

Many consumers are interested in decreasing their consumption of animal products, such as bovine milk, because of health, environmental, and ethical reasons. The food industry is therefore developing a range of plant-based milk alternatives. These milk substitutes should be affordable, convenient, desirable, nutritional, and sustainable.

Progress in microencapsulation of probiotics: A review.

The potential health benefits of probiotics may not be realized because of the substantial reduction in their viability during food storage and gastrointestinal transit. Microencapsulation can be used to enhance the resistance of probiotics to unfavorable conditions. A range of oral delivery systems has been developed to increase the level of probiotics reaching the colon including embedding and coating systems.

Special Section Guest Editorial: Photodynamic Therapy.

Guest Editors introduce the Special Section on Photodynamic Therapy for the Journal of Biomedical Optics, Volume 25, Issue 6.

Managing work participation for people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

Improving work participation for individuals with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs), has gained increasing interest over the last 10 years. New approaches are based upon increasing adoption of a biopsychosocial approach to improving work participation, incorporating evidence that health professionals within multidisciplinary teams have a key and critical role. In particular, interaction between health professionals and employers, and rehabilitation services that are linked to the workplace are key elements for improving work participation for people with RMDs.

Synergistic anticancer effects of curcumin and 3',4'-didemethylnobiletin in combination on colon cancer cells.

Chemoprevention strategies employing the use of multiple dietary bioactive components and their metabolites in combination offer advantages due to their low toxicity and potential synergistic interactions. Herein, for the first time, we studied the combination of curcumin and 3',4'-didemethylnobiletin (DDMN), a primary metabolite of nobiletin, to determine their combinatory effects in inhibiting growth of human colon cancer cells. Isobologram analysis revealed a synergistic interaction between curcumin and DDMN in the inhibition of cell growth of HCT116 colon cancer cells.

Development of a method to evaluate the tenderness of fresh tea leaves based on rapid, in-situ Raman spectroscopy scanning for carotenoids.

The tenderness of the fresh tea leaves can affect the quality of tea products. It is important to develop a mechanized, accurate way to evaluate the quality of fresh leaves that avoids the uncertainty of a subjective evaluation. Herein, an in-situ, ultra-rapid Raman microscopy strategy to quantify carotenoids in tea leaves was established.

Encapsulation of Vitamin D in Pickering Emulsion Stabilized by Nanofibrillated Mangosteen Cellulose: Effect of Environmental Stresses.

Vitamin D was encapsulated in 10% wt soybean oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering emulsions stabilized by either nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) or whey protein isolate (WPI) at 0.3%, 0.5%, and 0.

Dietary Fibers from Fruits and Vegetables and Their Health Benefits via Modulation of Gut Microbiota.

Dietary fibers (DFs) regulate host health through various mechanisms related to their dietary sources, specific physicochemical structures, fermentability, and physiological properties in the gut. Considering the numerous types and sources of DFs and their different physicochemical and physiological properties, it is challenging yet important to establish the key mechanisms for the beneficial health effects of DFs. In this review, the types and structures of DFs from different fruits and vegetables were summarized and the effects of different processing methods on DF properties were discussed.

Encapsulation of Lutein in Nanoemulsions Stabilized by Resveratrol and Maillard Conjugates.

Lutein is incorporated into foods as a natural yellow pigment and nutraceutical. The introduction of lutein into many foods and beverages, however, is problematic because of its strong hydrophobicity and poor chemical stability. In this research, lutein-loaded nanoemulsions were prepared to overcome this problem.

360 nm Continuous Wave Laser-Based Contact or Non-Contact Laser Interference Nano Lithography.

LIL (laser interference lithography), which does not require a mask, is an effective way to create a wide variety of periodic patterns by exposing two laser beams on a specimen. The LIL method can be used for a wide range of nano-pattern spacing by adjusting the laser intensity, exposure time, and development time. In addition, it has been used in many studies due to its advantage with regard to the forming of nanostructures over a large area in a short period of time.

Dataset on the effect of hardwood biochar on soil gravimetric moisture content and nitrate dynamics at different soil depths with FTIR analysis of fresh and aged biochar.

The goal of this research work was to determine widespread impact kiln-produced hardwood biochar has upon temperate agricultural soil characteristics in a long-term field experiment. This dataset is supplementary to the submitted research by [1] and presents select physical and chemical characteristics of the biochar and field plots amended with hardwood biochar. Data on soil gravimetric moisture content (GMC), soil acidity and soil nitrate-N concentration at lower depth of soil under different biochar application rates is presented.

Characterization of Bacterial Microbiota in Tilapia Fillets Under Different Storage Temperatures.

This paper investigates the bacterial microbiota in tilapia fillets under cold (4 °C), iced (0 °C), and superchilled (-3 °C) storage conditions. At 4 °C, at least seven species/strains of Pseudomonas were detected in the fillets, five of which were dominant either at a certain stage or throughout the entire storage period. Shewanella was less dominant than Pseudomonas at 4 °C, while Serratia became dominant after 6 days storage at 4 °C.

The Inhibition of Advanced Glycation End Products by Carnosine and Other Natural Dipeptides to Reduce Diabetic and Age-Related Complications.

As people age they are at a greater risk for many disorders including cardiovascular, renal, and neurodegenerative diseases, and these conditions are exacerbated by diabetes. An important cause of the maladies associated with both age and diabetes is the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGE formation is initiated by glycation reactions between reducing sugars and free amine groups.

Protein-Based Delivery Systems for the Nanoencapsulation of Food Ingredients.

Many proteins possess functional attributes that make them suitable for the encapsulation of bioactive agents, such as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. This article reviews the state of the art of protein-based nanoencapsulation approaches. The physicochemical principles underlying the major techniques for the fabrication of nanoparticles, nanogels, and nanofibers from animal, botanical, and recombinant proteins are described.

Interposing a Varying Gravitational Constant Between Modified Newtonian Dynamics and Weak Weyl Gravity.

The Newtonian gravitational constant obeys the dimensional relation [][][] = [], where , , and denote mass, acceleration, and speed, respectively. Since the baryonic Tully-Fisher (BTF) and Faber-Jackson (BFJ) relations are observed facts, this relation implies that = constant. This result cannot be obtained in Newtonian dynamics which cannot explain the origin of the BTF and BFJ relations.

Cysteamine-Modified Gold Nanoparticles as a Colorimetric Sensor for the Rapid Detection of Gentamicin.

Unlabelled: A simple, rapid, and specific colorimetric method for gentamicin detection using cysteamine-modified gold nanoparticles (cys-AuNPs) has been developed. The maximum residue limits of gentamicin allowed in foods are typically below 100 nM, so an effective detection method for low concentrations of the drug is required. The aggregation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was used as the basis for this method, and adding cysteamine to the AuNPs helped to enhance their aggregative abilities.

UV-C Irradiation on the Quality of Green Tea: Effect on Catechins, Antioxidant Activity, and Cytotoxicity.

Unlabelled: Short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) irradiation is a nonthermal processing technique that is a possible alternative to the heat-pasteurization of tea beverages. This study investigated the effect of UV-C irradiation on the polyphenolic and total phenolic contents of a green tea beverage and analyzed cytotoxicity of irradiated green tea using a novel continuous flow-through UV system. UV-C fluence levels ranging from 0 to 240 mJ/cm were delivered to green tea, and polyphenols were chemically profiled.

New Trends in the Microencapsulation of Functional Fatty Acid-Rich Oils Using Transglutaminase Catalyzed Crosslinking.

Preparing stable protein-based microcapsules containing functional fatty acids and oils for food applications has been a big challenge. However, recent advances with transglutaminase (TGase) enzyme as an effective protein cross-linker could provide workable solutions for the encapsulation of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids without compromising their targeted release and their biological and physicochemical characteristics. The recent and available literature related to the microencapsulation techniques, physical and oxidative properties, and core retention and release mechanisms of TGase-crosslinked microcapsules entrapping edible oils were reviewed.

Iron Encapsulation in Water-in-Oil Emulsions: Effect of Ferrous Sulfate Concentration and Fat Crystal Formation on Oxidative Stability.

Unlabelled: Iron deficiency is a major global human health concern. Encapsulation of iron in functional food products may help to solve this problem. However, iron is highly reactive and may promote rapid lipid oxidation in fatty foods.

Delivery by Design (DbD): A Standardized Approach to the Development of Efficacious Nanoparticle- and Microparticle-Based Delivery Systems.

The design and development of nanoparticle- and microparticle-based delivery systems for the encapsulation, protection, and controlled release of active agents has grown considerably in the agrochemical, cosmetic, food, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries. These colloidal delivery systems can be utilized to overcome problems such as poor solubility, low activity, and chemical instability of active agents, as well as to create novel functional attributes such as controlled or targeted delivery. The purpose of this article is to develop a systematic approach, referred to as "delivery-by-design" (DbD), to make the design and fabrication process more efficient and effective.

Chemical Mapping of Essential Oils, Flavonoids and Carotenoids in Citrus Peels by Raman Microscopy.

Unlabelled: Citrus peels, by-products in large quantity, are rich in various functional and beneficial components which have wide applications. Chemical analysis of these components in citrus peels is an important step to determine the usefulness of the by-products for further applications. In this study, we explored Raman microscopy for rapid, nondestructive, and in situ chemical mapping of multiple main functional components from citrus peels.

Deformation of the contact line around spherical particles bound at anisotropic fluid interfaces.

When a particle adsorbs at a liquid interface, the 3-phase contact line geometry depends on the shape of the particle and of the liquid interface. The shape of the contact line is the key to controlling capillary forces among particles, and is therefore a useful means to direct assembly of interfacial particles. We measured the shape of the contact line around millimeter-sized PDMS-coated glass spheres at water/air interfaces with anisotropic shapes.